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Karkson Jtlrngresa-Arguß
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Volume 103 Number 1
P Cnr acquaintances will
never be forgotten. We deeply i
appreciate your patronage and look forward
* - to serving you this New Year. Hope it’s happy!
The Staff Of
Jackson Progress-Argus
Technical Consultant Chosen For
Mclntosh Trail Outdoor Drama
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DR. DAVID WEISS
PEACHTREE CITY. Geor
gia Dr. David Weiss,
professor of drama at the
University of Virginia, has
been named by the Mclntosh
Trail Arts Council to serve as
technical consultant to “The
Mclntosh Trail,” Georgia’s
new outdoor drama sche
duled to open here next June.
The appointment was the
first of several important
staff positions expected to be
confirmed shortly by the Arts
Council, producers of the
drama project and of the
accompanying cultural arts
complex now under construc
tion in Peachtree City.
As technical consultant,
Weiss will be responsible for
the total stage design and set
for “The Mclntosh Trail,” a
drama of the Creek Indians
in Georgia during the early
1800’s. The lighting and
sound systems needed for
the production will also be
under Weiss’ direction, ac
cording to Robert K. Price,
president of the Mclntosh
Trail Arts Council.
“The Mclntosh Trail” will
be staged in Peachtree City’s
new outdoor amphitheater, a
form of theater very familiar
to Weiss. As theater design
consultant for the Institute of
Outdoor Drama in Chapel
Hill, N. C., Weiss has gained
considerable experience in
the production of several
other outdoor dramas in this
country, including “Honey in
the Rock” in Beckley, W.
Va., “Thy Kindgom Come”
in Salem, Va., “Stars in My
Crown,” in Murray, Ky., and
“Trail of Tears,” Tahlequah,
Ok. He also directed “Trail of
Tears” in 1971 and 72 and
“Tecumseh!” in 1973 in
Chillicothe, Ohio.
In fact, Weiss has served
as theater architecture and
lighting consultant on more
than 20 theater projects
throughout the country.
Weiss began his study of
drama at the University of
Wisconsin, where he re
ceived his bachelors and
masters degrees. In 1965, he
earned his Ph.D. from
Indiana University. Weiss
has held teaching positions at
Montana State University
and has been drama depart
ment chairman at the
University of Virginia since
1966.
His participation in various
forms of theater during his
career has included serving
as director of the American
Theater Association, 1973-74,
as a member of the executive
board of the U.S. Institute of
Theater Technology, 1966-67,
and as president of the
Southeastern Theater Con
ference, 1972-73.
Now, as technical consul
tant to “The Mclntosh
Trail,” Weiss will work
closely with Dr. Kermit
Hunter, nationally renowned
playwright and author of the
script for the drama.
The Mclntosh Trail Arts
Council, originator of the
project, is a nonprofit
corporation dedicated to the
enchancement of cultural
and historical arts through
out the Mclntosh Trail
region. That area includes
Butts, Carroll, Clayton, Co
weta, Fayette, Henry,
Lamar, Newton, Pike, South
Dekalb, South Fulton, Spald
ing, Troup, and Upson
Counties.
OPPORTUNITIES OPEN
WITH CIVIL SERVICE
Effective December 16,
1975, the Macon Area Office,
U.S. Civil Service Commis
sion accepted applications
for Clerk-Tvpist, GS-2 and
GS-3 and Clerk-Stenograp
her, GS-3 and GS-4 for
Federal employment in all
areas of South Georgia.
Interested applicants
should contact the Macon
Area Office of the U. S. Civil
Service Commission, in the
Federal Office Building, 451
College Street, Macon.
Wesleyan Begins
Bicentennial Slate
MACON, GA. Wesleyan
College will begin its Bicen
tennial celebration with the
opening of the January term
Jan. 5. The theme of the
Jackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, January 1, 1976
Grier
Shotgun
Victim
Tuesday, December 23rd
at about 7:00 p.m., 32-year
old Marion Johnson Grier of
Stark Road was shot with a
12-guage Browning auto
matic shotgun. She suffered
wounds on the left side of her
face, left shoulder and left
chest area.
Marion Grier was rushed
from the scene to Syvlan
Grove Hospital by Sherrell
Ambulance Service and was
later transferred to Clayton
General Hospital in Atlanta.
The Butts County Sheriff’s
Department is holding Riley
McClendon, a man in his
early 60’s and resident of
Butts County, for questioning
as a suspect in the shooting.
The last report on Marion
Grier listed her in fair
condition at Clayton General
Hospital.
Bicentennial program is
“What’s Past is Prologue.”
and is reflected in academic
courses and special events on
campus in January.
During the January term,
students have a chance to
take special month-long
courses designed to broaden
Wesleyan’s curriculum.
Among special Bicenten
nial events open to the public
is a lecture by Dr. Russell B.
Nye on “Popular Images of
the American Revolution” on
Jan. 6, an ecumenical
celebration of religious free
dom on Jan. 8 and a
presentation of “Cavalcade
of American Theatre” by the
National Players on Jan. 26.
Conditions At Learning
Centers Deplorable
By Jerry McLaurin
In Butts County, where
most of the people enjoy a
very high standard of living
when compared with the rest
of the world, and even more
striking, in Jackson, where
citizens enjoy the most
modern conveniences and
afford themselves the luxury
of taking such trouble savers
as hot and cold running
water, bulit-in bathrooms
and central heating for
granted, there are two
establishments of education
housed in buildings that
would be considered anti
quated if they existed in the
latter quarter of the nine
teenth century rather than in
the latter quarter of the
twentieth century.
One of these centers houses
twenty-two full time stu
dents, one part time student
and seven teachers and
and seven teachers and ad
ministrators. Thirty people
gather each morning, five
days per week, inside of an
old house barely large
enough to accommodate a
family of four under ordinary
circumstances.
The student body ranges in
age from three to 40. The
pre-schoolers are kept and
taught together in a room
which provides barely more
than elbow room. There is no
space for floor mats or play
area, therefore none of the
usual aids or educational
toys can be used.
Teenage and older female
students meet in the hallway
of the house for their classes.
The back porch of the house
National Debt Costs Butts
County Residents Heavily
Special to the
Progress-Argus
NEW YORK. Dec. 27
How much do Butts County
residents owe as their share
of the national debt? How
much is it costing them in
taxes each year to meet their
position of the interest
charges on that debt?
According to the latest
figures, about $1 out of every
$lO collected locally by the
Federal government goes
toward paying the interest,
which has reached a record
of nearly $34 billion a year.
In the current fiscal year
local people will be turning
in, via their taxes, approxi
mately $1,209,000 as their
share of the interest costs.
That will take care only of
the carrying charges. It will
have no effect on the debt
itself, which is now well over
SSOO billion.
Translating that debt into
more comprehensible terms,
it is of such size that it would
take more than a century to
wipe it out, paying it off at
the rate of $5 billion a year.
If it had to be eliminated
immediately, with everyone
in Butts County and in the
rest of the country chipping
in an equal share, it would
require $2,358 from every
man woman and child,
according to the U. S.
Chamber of Commerce.
Since there is no intention
and no need to erase the debt
completely, that problem
doesn’t arise. There is
concern, however, over the
growth in the debt, which
necessitated Congressional
action last month to raise the
debt ceiling.
By virtue of that increase,
it is expected that the annual
interest on the debt will
reach $36 billion by the
provides an area for any
spill-over and there is always
spill-over at this center of
learning.
Two other rooms provide
insufficient space for a group
of boys and a group of men.
The kitchen and two small
bathrooms represent the only
two rooms in the house that
are not constantly crowded.
The front porch of the
house, now closed-in. pro
vides enough room for four
desks and a passageway;
this constitutes the total
office space for the seven
faculty and administrative
personnel of the center of
education.
Though a sad picture
indeed, this school is more
accommodating than an
other in Jackson.
This second center of
learning is housed in a three
room, one bathroom shack.
The best that can be said
about the structure in which
classes are conducted is that
there is a roof over the heads
of the students and faculty
members.
Furniture in the building
consists of a very few student
desks and a table or two.
Free standing gas heaters
heat the room or at least
the portion of each room
closest to the heaters. Two
small rooms provide class
room space for 14 students
and no more than two
teachers at a time. A kitchen,
barely large enough to
accommodate a stove, stands
bare except for the stove
which has been outlawed by
health inspectors and is used
solely as a source of heat.
middle of 1976.
Residents of Butts County,
in line with their normal
share of the tax load, will be
paying close to $370 per
family toward these interest
charges, it is estimated.
Since 1941, when Congress
attempted for the first time
to put a limit on Federal
spending by placing a ceiling
on the national debt, there
have been many adjust
ments.
In the subsequent years,
including its recent action, it
has raised the ceiling 24
times as Federal spending
continued to mount.
The interest costs have
gone up proportionately.
Since 1960 alone, they have
climbed from $9.2 billion a
year to the $36 billion fast
approaching.
Rural Areas May
Apply For Grants
Rural communities have
until Feb. 13, 1976, to file
preapplications for com
munity development discre
tionary grants under Title I
of the Housing and Com
munity Development Act of
19741P.L. 93-383).
Preapplications were to be
filed with the Department of
Housing and Urban Develop
ment (HUD) by Jan. 16.1976.
But the date was extended
after the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) report
ed that nonmetro communi
ties need more time to
comply with interim revised
regulations as announced
earlier.
Communities needing in
formation on the regulations
or on preapplication proce
dures should contact HUD
$6.18 Per Year In Advance
The solitary bathroom
serves both male and female
students. The interior of the
building leaves one with the
impression that it must be
used as the weekly meeting
place for some sort of
supernatural, destructive
society of demons of the
“Exorcist” variety. The
building contains no office
space and is equipped with no
telephone.
Lunchtime is a problem for
there is no space available
for eating nor cooking food.
In spite of the deplorable
conditions the students at
both centers learn. At the
Butts County Day Care and
Training Center (the first
educational facility mention
ed above) the handicapped
and mentally retarded of
Butts County are trained to
live a better and more
productive life in their
county. Many students
leaving the “Day Care
Center” go on to be educated
in the county school system;
others find jobs in the county
where they produce goods or
services and pay taxes.
At the TMR (Training for
the Mentally Retarded >
Center (second center of
learning mentioned above),
located on the Jackson High
School campus students of
school age receive special
training.
The purpose for the
training centers is to produce
the best educated citizenry
possible in Butts County,
from the bottom of its
potential to the top. In
theory, a community in
which the people are edu
Christinas Eve
Spurt Boosts
Business Here
Santa left large smiles on
the faces of most Jackson
merchants, who spent a quiet
Christmas Day at home with
the merry jingle of cash
registers still ringing in their
ears.
“The best Christmas Eve
ever”, “better than last
year”, “surprisingly good”
were some of the superla
tives being tossed around by
merchants in their post-
Christmas appraisal of the
holiday business.
While locally the Christ
mas shopping binge was slow
to develop, and had many
businessmen worried if it
would, it reached its climax
on Christmas Eve when the
downtown business district
was flooded with shoppers
with long lists of gifts to
be purchased.
With the national, and local
economy, showing definite
signs of improving, the local
merchants look forward to
the prospects of an even
better year in 1976.
GAIL STEWART
WON GIANT
CHRISTMAS STOCKING
Miss Gail Stewart of Route,
1. Box 232, Flovilla. was
winner of the Giant Christ
mas Stocking given by
Jackson True Value Hard
ware during the Christmas
season. Gail signed a
registration blank at the
local hardware store during
the holiday season and her
name w as drawn as the lucky
winner.
offices or offices of USDA's
Extension Service and Farm
ers Home Administration.
cated to their potential
reaches its potential as an
ideal community. The theory
is fine but the reality- in Butts
County now is described
above overcrowded with
inadequate equipment. The
results fall far short of the
possibilities.
The people who need the
type of training offered at
these establishments are
members of our community;
they deserve the same
chance and the same
opportunities that more
normal members of the
community are now provided
with. Special education
should be provided for these
people, if for no other reason,
because their education will
better the community both
socially and economically
and in turn better the
individuals of the com
munity.
The Butts County Associa
tion for Retarded Citizens
has dedicated itself to
remedying these deplorable
conditions; plans for new
facilities are being made;
funding avenues are being
studied.
Citizens or organizations of
Butts County interested in
the welfare of their com
munity should contact Doug
Durrett. chairman of the
Butts County Association for
Retarded Citizens Building
Fund at 775-3113.
Contributions may be
made by check payable to the
Butts County Association for
Retarded Citizens Building
Fund or The ARC Building
Fund and mailed to Doug
Durrett at the Mclntosh Bank
■v
I, ,t Mt |S|
Mrs. Tommie M. Huggins
Mrs. Huggins
Is Promoted
By Local S&L
The Board of Directors of
Griffin Federal Savings and
Loan Association has an
nounced the election of Mrs.
Tommie M. Huggins to the
position of assistant vice
president.
Mrs. Huggins was named
last May as manager of the
Jackson branch of Griffin
Federal Savings and Loan.
She lives in Flovilla where
her husband is mayor and
pilot with Eastern Air Lines.
She was graduated from
Griffin High School in 1964
and has attended the Univer
sity of Tennessee, Trenton
State College, Trenton. N. J.,
and the University of Hawaii.
She is a member of the
Jackson Business and Pro
fessional Women's Club,
board of directors of Butts
County Department of
Family and Children’s Ser
vices, and Jackson United
Methodist Church.